Red Traffic Lights

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

yes, the enforcement should be better. Yes, it is dangerous out there on the road. Yes, I have experience of it in a worse environment (commuting in the UK - if you think our road users are ambivalent to cyclists...) 

 

But - you need to remember that the laws apply to us as well. The cities are changing to be more accepting of cycling (CT is testament to that, as are places in JHB) but we cannot expect to be accepted whilst breaking the very laws that we require the motorists to follow. Stake our claim, yes. But do it through the proper avenues. Obey the laws of the road. Ride responsibly. Drive responsibly. 

[Patchelicious]

I am dumb struck with our mindsets when it comes to obeying the law and enforcement of the law. There is a difference.

 

If everybody obeyed the law, it would'nt need enforcing. And why only obey it because it is enforced?

 

My jaw hit the ground a few days ago. On a ride a guy in a SUV went over a red robot, there weren't any cars, when I caught up to him I asked him: "Why did you do that", he responded "You are not the police".... Well needless to say he got told to "go F#$@K himself".

 

So if the police aren't present, can we do what we want? Morons.

 

Nobody will obey the law ALWAYS, but damn man, try your best.

[RocknRolla]

TIA, means This Is Africa, basically a summary of a long winded reply I typed but deleted initially.

 

In this country, our government is very quick to adopt first world rules and laws. However, the only rule the traffic police seems to want to enforce is the speeding law, because it generates an income.

 

In a first world country like France, they got the basics nailed, thus they can further develop by looking at smarter ways to advance the society in general, this is evident in them considering something so trivial as letting a bicycle "ride through a red traffic light".

 

Your question to me, do I obey the rules all the time? my answer to you is  about 99% to the utter frustration of other road users. Both in my car and on my bicycle. I influence people with my behaviour daily.

 

If you say everyone else does as they please, I can too, I fear your approach may not be as safe as you think. We have already progressed to the point where side walks are used as a lane to avoid long queues. Red traffic lights mean nothing at all. Pedestrians are seen as targets, and solid white lines are just a white stripe on the road.

 

The only way to make a difference is to make a stand, obey the rules. The more people do it, the more people will start to do it.

 

I remember driving with my dad in the car in "the old days" when a car goes through a red traffic light, all the motorcars around would hoot and wave and if you catch up to the person at the next stop it was customary for that person to get an ear full.

 

I personally chose to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

 

Just like I feel compelled to post every time a thread like this pops up.

[Grebel]

First world ideology in a third world country will not work.

 

1st world citizens have the ability to police themselves. 3rd world citizens do not.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, what this country lacks is RESPECT. Plain and simple. Respect for other people, laws, rules, basically everything. Yes I am generalizing and there are people out there in this wonderful country of ours that are trying to make a difference, Yes we aren't all perfect model citizens blah blah blah.....

 

Fix the mindset and the majority of your problems will go away. Then you might be able to introduce this type of thing.

[RocknRolla]

First world ideology in a third world country will not work.

 

1st world citizens have the ability to police themselves. 3rd world citizens do not.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, what this country lacks is RESPECT. Plain and simple. Respect for other people, laws, rules, basically everything. Yes I am generalizing and there are people out there in this wonderful country of ours that are trying to make a difference, Yes we aren't all perfect model citizens blah blah blah.....

 

Fix the mindset and the majority of your problems will go away. Then you might be able to introduce this type of thing.

 

 

Nailed it.

[Joe Low]

 

 

Cyclists in Paris are to be allowed to ride through red lights after tests showed the move would not lead to accidents.

Traffic lights for bicycles will be placed under the traffic lights for cars on some junctions.

The lights will indicate when bikes can either turn right or ride ahead - even when lights for cars are on red.

Paris, blighted by smog this year, is keen for more people to take to their bikes throughout the city.

The mayor's office says (in French) the scheme will be rolled out on some crossroads across the French capital from July to the end of September.

 

 

 

You follow that and you are going to come seriously unstuck - cycling on the righthand side of the road here is going to be carnage!

[SuperDooperSnooper]

First world ideology in a third world country will not work.

 

1st world citizens have the ability to police themselves. 3rd world citizens do not.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, what this country lacks is RESPECT. Plain and simple. Respect for other people, laws, rules, basically everything. Yes I am generalizing and there are people out there in this wonderful country of ours that are trying to make a difference, Yes we aren't all perfect model citizens blah blah blah.....

 

Fix the mindset and the majority of your problems will go away. Then you might be able to introduce this type of thing.

 

I totally agree with you on this one.

 

But it is becoming more and more difficult to change mindsets, as we are on a daily basis bombarded with incidences showing lack of respect to others. If you then, like me, realize the situation is one where some person is acting with complete disregard and lack of respect to others, naturally you feel some animosity to that person and just want to do something, anything, to show how him/her how much of an idiot they are. This in turn lowers your respect for that person as you are SO angry at that moment. I know it sounds very touchy-feely, but I have found that in that period of anger, I am much more prone to disobey rules or make mistakes myself.

 

So now I choose to try and set an example as much as possible, and if somebody in turn chooses to act like a chop, I'll trust karma to do its thing. If there is an opportunity, I may politely ask the person to refrain from or change what they're doing. Staying calm and polite would usually irritate them a lot more and for longer than a shouting match. There is very little chance of you getting them to acknowledge their mistake at that point anyway...

 

My 10c's worth.

[dirtypot]

You follow that and you are going to come seriously unstuck - cycling on the righthand side of the road here is going to be carnage!

 

On my cycle commute home I encounter many people cycling back to Masi on the wrong side of the road.  It drives me mental.  I've stopped trying to move out of their way - if they're going to ride on the wrong side of the road they must get out of my way.  A few have gone into the pavement as a result, but I just don't care anymore.  I'm a very generous road user under normal circumstances, but I lose that when I'm forced to veer into the traffic to go around someone who can't be bothered to cross the road.

[SuperDooperSnooper]

You follow that and you are going to come seriously unstuck - cycling on the righthand side of the road here is going to be carnage!

I see what you did there. LOL :lol:

[EmptyB]

Just effing stop if its red!!

[Sponge_Bob]

There are no red lights on mountain biking trails......

 

Just saying..... 

[Wez-O]

I hate to say it but in many cases, jumping a red traffic light is the safer option.

Just one example would be cyclist turning left (or travelling straight) at an intersection where while clipping in, the impatient South African drivers turns in front of the cyclist.

[velomonatiCT]

so there I was this morning flying down main at 35 towards tokai and the light ahead turns amber and as I was about to  'pound it through' ..

I thought about this thread and did one of those squirrely locked up rear tyre sliding stops .......glance sideways.......guy in car looks at me as if to say 'why the hell did you stop idiot '

 

I stopped because of all you guys on this thread ....you are correct

we should stop for red lights always  

[Long Wheel Base]

Same Road, Same Rules, Same Rights. Although that looks good on paper.

When commuting I stop at all red robots unless I cant see another car in sight, especially in winter when its dark in the mornings. I don't want to be the guy that has a picture taken with a dash cam and shared all over social media saying check how all(you know mos how we are all painted with the same brush) these cyclists disobey the rules.

 

But when i'm doing a race I just sail through reds and yell strava .

[usxorf]

Why does the law have to be the law? Is something like the idaho stop not a better option?

 

Shouldn't we be trying to get the law changed, instead of being forced to obey or breaking it.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Why does the law have to be the law? Is something like the idaho stop not a better option?

 

Shouldn't we be trying to get the law changed, instead of being forced to obey or breaking it.

Form a lobbyist group, and appeal to change the law through activism and proper political applications then. 

 

The law has to be the law because it is what keeps us as humans in check. We as a populace cannot self-police - this very thread is testament to that. 

 

Bear in mind I'm not referring to laws that restrict human rights, before you bring up the apartheid straw man argument. I'm talking about laws that govern and guide human behaviour in order to create an environment where people, if they obey said laws, have an easier time about it.